Deck 44: A: Social Influence

Question 1

Conformity resulting from a person's desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval is said to be a response to

A) the reciprocity norm.
B) social facilitation.
C) normative social influence.
D) informational social influence.

Answer 1

normative social influence.

Question 2

Yuri decided to delay his road trip after hearing a weather forecaster warn that a severe snowstorm would pass through the area within several hours. Yuri's decision best illustrates the impact of

A) the mere exposure effect.
B) informational social influence.
C) social facilitation.
D) the reciprocity norm.

Answer 2

informational social influence.

Question 3

Toby publicly agrees with his fraternity brothers that Ahmed, a senior, would make the best student senate president. On the secret ballot, however, he actually votes for Yoram. Toby's public conformity to his fraternity brothers' opinion best illustrates the power of

A) social facilitation.
B) informational social influence.
C) normative social influence.
D) the mere exposure effect.

Answer 3

normative social influence.

Question 4

We are likely to conform to group pressure when

A) we have observed another group member voice dissent.
B) we admire the group's status and attractiveness.
C) our opinions and behaviors are private rather than public.
D) our culture encourages a lack of respect for social norms.

Question 5

The chameleon effect involves

A) scapegoating.
B) automatic mimicry.
C) cognitive dissonance.
D) the fundamental attribution error.

Question 6

The value of social conformity is most likely to be emphasized in

A) England.
B) France.
C) Japan.
D) North America.

Question 7

In Milgram's first study of obedience, the majority of "teachers" who were ordered to shock a "learner"

A) refused to deliver even slight levels of shock.
B) initially complied but refused to deliver more than slight levels of shock.
C) complied until ordered to deliver intense levels of shock.
D) complied fully and delivered the highest level of shock.

Question 8

The text indicates that the clusters of suicides that sometimes follow a highly publicized suicide may be the result of

A) suggestibility.
B) the bystander effect.
C) deindividuation.
D) social facilitation.

Question 9

Naseeb disagrees with his classmates on an issue. During a class discussion of the issue, Naseeb is MOST likely to conform to his classmates' opinion if he

A) has a high level of self-esteem.
B) does not have to reveal his personal opinion at the close of the class discussion.
C) believes the rest of the class is unanimous in their position.
D) verbally expresses his own unique opinion early in the class discussion.

Question 10

Conformity resulting from the acceptance of others' opinions about reality is said to be a response to

A) group polarization.
B) social facilitation.
C) informational social influence.
D) normative social influence.

Question 11

Just hearing someone reading a neutral text in a sad voice creates "mood contagion" in listeners. This best illustrates

A) the mere exposure effect.
B) the bystander effect.
C) the chameleon effect.
D) ingroup bias.

Question 12

In all of Milgram's obedience experiments, participants were deceived about

A) the association of the research with a prestigious university.
B) Milgram's professional status as a research psychologist.
C) how much they would actually be paid for participating in the research.
D) the amount of shock the victim actually received.

Question 13

The level of obedience in the Milgram experiments was highest when the "teacher" was ________ the experimenter and ________ the "learner."

A) at a distance from; at a distance from
B) close to; close to
C) at a distance from; close to
D) close to; at a distance from

Question 14

British soldiers who lined up at parade rest on the last voyage of the steamship Birkenhead best illustrated that obedience

A) leads people to capitulate to cruelty.
B) requires a loss of impulse control.
C) reduces cognitive dissonance.
D) can be an act of heroism.

Question 15

When the participants in Milgram's study were later surveyed about taking part in the research, most reported that they

A) did not believe they were actually delivering shock to the "learner."
B) had actually enjoyed shocking the "learner."
C) did not regret taking part in the experiment.
D) did not believe the study should be repeated.

Question 16

In Milgram's obedience experiments, "teachers" were LEAST likely to deliver the highest levels of shock when the

A) experiment was conducted at a prestigious institution such as Yale University.
B) experimenter became too pushy and told hesitant participants, "You have no choice, you must go on."
C) "teachers" observed other participants refuse to obey the experimenter's orders.
D) "learner" said he had a heart condition.

Question 17

In Milgram's experiments, participants were torn between whether they should respond to the pleas of the ______ or the demands of the ______.

A) obedient role model; "teacher"
B) "teacher"; "learner"
C) "teacher"; defiant role model
D) "learner"; experimenter

Question 18

Solomon Asch asked people to identify which of three comparison lines was identical to a standard line. His research was designed to study

A) the mere exposure effect.
B) the fundamental attribution error.
C) social facilitation.
D) conformity.

Question 19

Conformity is best described as

A) performing simple tasks more quickly in the presence of others.
B) adjusting one's behavior or thinking toward a group standard.
C) neglecting critical thinking in order to preserve group harmony.
D) losing self-awareness in group situations that foster anonymity.

Question 20

Professor Maslova attends faculty meetings simply to gain the approval of the college dean. Professor Maslova's behavior exemplifies the importance of

A) ingroup bias.
B) informational social influence.
C) normative social influence.
D) deindividuation.

Question 21

The gradually escalating levels of destructive obedience in the Milgram experiments best illustrate one of the potential dangers of

A) deindividuation.
B) social facilitation.
C) the fundamental attribution error.
D) the foot-in-the-door phenomenon.

Question 22

Group polarization refers to

A) the lack of critical thinking that results from a strong desire for harmony within a group.
B) a split within a group produced by striking differences of opinion among group members.
C) the tendency of individuals to exert more effort when working as part of a group.
D) the enhancement of a group's prevailing attitudes through group discussion.

Question 23

How does the presence of observers affect a person's performance?

A) It improves performance on poorly learned tasks and hinders a person's performance on well-learned tasks.
B) It improves performance on physical tasks and hinders a person's performance on mental tasks.
C) It improves performance on verbal tasks and hinders a person's performance on mathematical tasks.
D) It improves performance on easy tasks and hinders a person's performance on difficult tasks.

Question 24

Masked bandits might be more likely than unmasked bandits to physically injure their victims due to

A) deindividuation.
B) group polarization.
C) the mere exposure effect.
D) social facilitation.

Question 25

The tendency for people to exert less effort when they are pooling their efforts toward a common goal is known as

A) deindividuation.
B) the bystander effect.
C) social loafing.
D) the foot-in-the-door phenomenon.

Question 26

Individuals who are normally law-abiding may vandalize and loot when they become part of a mob. This change in behavior is best understood in terms of

A) social facilitation.
B) the mere exposure effect.
C) deindividuation.
D) ingroup bias.

Question 27

Social facilitation is most likely to occur in the performance of ________ tasks.

A) challenging
B) unenjoyable
C) novel
D) simple

Question 28

Norman Triplett observed that adolescents wound a fishing reel faster in the presence of someone working simultaneously on the same task. This best illustrates

A) the mere exposure effect.
B) the bystander effect.
C) social facilitation.
D) group polarization.

Question 29

If the political conservatism of female students who join sororities is greater than that of female students who do not, the gap in the political attitudes of the two groups will probably widen as they progress through college. This would be best explained in terms of

A) social loafing.
B) the bystander effect.
C) deindividuation.
D) group polarization.

Question 30

Professors Maksoud, Struthers, and Vasic each tend to think that obtaining a university degree is easier today than it was when they were students. After discussing the matter over coffee, they are even more convinced that obtaining a degree is easier today. This episode provides an example of

A) the fundamental attribution error.
B) social facilitation.
C) group polarization.
D) deindividuation.

Question 31

Blindfolded subjects were observed to clap louder when they thought they were clapping alone than when they thought they were clapping with others. This best illustrates

A) the mere exposure effect.
B) social loafing.
C) group polarization.
D) the foot-in-the-door phenomenon.

Question 32

Circumstances that increase ________ are likely to reduce ________.

A) anonymity; social loafing
B) self-awareness; deindividuation
C) anonymity; groupthink
D) self-awareness; social facilitation

Question 33

Job applicants are interviewed by either friendly or unfriendly employers who sit either very close to or at a normal distance from the applicants. Research suggests that applicants will like best the friendly employers who sit at a ________ distance and will like least the unfriendly employers who sit at a ________ distance.

A) very close; normal
B) very close; very close
C) normal; normal
D) normal; very close

Question 34

In group situations, the loss of self-awareness and self-restraint that fosters arousal and anonymity is called

A) cognitive dissonance.
B) social loafing.
C) deindividuation.
D) ingroup bias

Question 35

After a light turns green, drivers take about 15 percent less time to travel the first 100 yards when another car is beside them at the intersection than when they are alone. This best illustrates

A) the foot-in-the-door phenomenon.
B) the mere exposure effect.
C) the bystander effect.
D) social facilitation.

Question 36

An unlikable person is likely to be perceived more ________ a group discussion of that person's qualities, and a likable person is likely to be perceived more ________ a group discussion of that person's qualities.

A) negatively before; positively after
B) positively after; negatively after
C) negatively after; positively after
D) positively after; negatively before

Question 37

Class members are asked to work cooperatively in groups on major course papers. Every member of a group is to receive exactly the same grade based on the quality of the group's paper. This situation is most likely to lead to

A) social loafing.
B) social facilitation.
C) deindividuation.
D) the bystander effect.

Question 38

By providing prospective terrorists with electronic chat rooms for interfacing online with others who share their attitudes, the Internet most likely serves as a medium for

A) social facilitation.
B) the bystander effect.
C) group polarization.
D) cognitive dissonance.

Question 39

In which of the following groups is social loafing LEAST likely?

A) Girl Scouts who must gather wood for a campfire
B) restaurant food servers who are allowed to keep the individual tips they receive
C) executive board members who each receive an equal share of the company profits
D) students working on a group project for which they will all receive the same grade

Question 40

On which of the following tasks would the presence of observers be LEAST likely to lead to better and faster performance?

A) raking leaves
B) washing dishes
C) reciting the alphabet
D) solving a crossword puzzle

Question 41

Internet communication that enables like-minded health care advocates to share their ideas also serves to strengthen their prevailing health care attitudes. This best illustrates

A) the reciprocity norm.
B) group polarization.
C) social facilitation.
D) the just-world phenomenon.

Question 42

Groupthink can be prevented by a leader who

A) is directive and makes his or her own position clear from the start.
B) invites outside experts to critique a group's developing plans.
C) tries to maintain high morale among group members.
D) emphasizes the importance of the issue under discussion.

Question 43

An overwhelming desire for harmony in a decision-making group increases the probability of

A) social facilitation.
B) the mere exposure effect.
C) groupthink.
D) the foot-in-the-door phenomenon.

Question 44

Research indicates that minorities are most influential when they

A) argue positions widely divergent from those of the majority.
B) make use of emotional rather than logical appeals.
C) acknowledge the wisdom of the majority position.
D) unswervingly hold to their own position.

Question 45

Which of the following comments is most likely to be made by the leader of a group characterized by groupthink?

A) "We have been united on matters in the past and I hope that will continue."
B) "We will need some outside experts to critique our decisions."
C) "It's important for each of us to think critically about this issue."
D) "We should probably divide into subgroups and arrive at independent decisions."

Question 46

The tragic decision to launch the space shuttle Challenger resulted in part from the minimal expression of dissenting views among NASA personnel and advisors. This best illustrates the dangers of

A) social facilitation.
B) deindividuation.
C) groupthink.
D) the bystander effect.